Fan Fraith
Encyclopedia
not to be confused with Foel Fraith
a few miles further west in the Black Mountain
range
Fan Fraith is a top of Fan Gyhirych
in the Fforest Fawr
section of the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys
, south Wales
. Its summit is at a height of 668m. It lies within Fforest Fawr Geopark
.
laid down during the Devonian period. Sandstones of the overlying Plateau Beds Formation occur in the summit area as do beds of the Grey Grits Formation - both are assigned to the upper Devonian. The Plateau Beds sandstones occur across the whole southern aspect of the mountain and are often present as boulder fields,a result of periglacial
activity. Several geological faults affect these rocks, the most significant of which is the northeast-southwest aligned Swansea Fault, a part of the Cribarth Disturbance
.
affords the easiest and most commonly used ascent of Fan Fraith.
Foel Fraith
not to be confused with Fan Fraith a few miles further east in the Fforest Fawr rangeFoel Fraith is a hill in the Black Mountain in the county of Carmarthenshire, southwest Wales. It lies within the Brecon Beacons National Park and Fforest Fawr Geopark. Its plateau-like summit attains a height of ...
a few miles further west in the Black Mountain
Black Mountain (range)
The Black Mountain is a mountain range in Mid and West Wales, straddling the county boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys and forming the westernmost range of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Its highest point is Fan Brycheiniog at 802 metres or 2,631 ft. The Black Mountain also forms a part...
range
Fan Fraith is a top of Fan Gyhirych
Fan Gyhirych
Fan Gyhirych is a mountain in the Fforest Fawr section of Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales. It lies within the county of Powys, formerly Brecknockshire....
in the Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr is the name given to an extensive upland area in the county of Powys, Wales. Formerly known as the 'Great Forest of Brecknock' in English, it was a royal hunting area for several centuries but is now used primarily for sheep grazing, forestry, water catchment and recreation...
section of the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Its summit is at a height of 668m. It lies within Fforest Fawr Geopark
Fforest Fawr Geopark
Fforest Fawr Geopark was the first Geopark to be designated in Wales having gained membership of both the European Geoparks Network and the UNESCO-assisted Global Network of National Geoparks in October 2005. The Geopark aims to promote and support sustainable tourism and other opportunities to...
.
Geology
The bulk of the hill is formed from sandstones and mudstones of the Brownstones Formation of the Old Red SandstoneOld Red Sandstone
The Old Red Sandstone is a British rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. For convenience the short version of the term, 'ORS' is often used in literature on the subject.-Sedimentology:...
laid down during the Devonian period. Sandstones of the overlying Plateau Beds Formation occur in the summit area as do beds of the Grey Grits Formation - both are assigned to the upper Devonian. The Plateau Beds sandstones occur across the whole southern aspect of the mountain and are often present as boulder fields,a result of periglacial
Periglacial
Periglacial is an adjective originally referring to places in the edges of glacial areas, but it has later been widely used in geomorphology to describe any place where geomorphic processes related to freezing of water occur...
activity. Several geological faults affect these rocks, the most significant of which is the northeast-southwest aligned Swansea Fault, a part of the Cribarth Disturbance
Cribarth Disturbance
The Cribarth Disturbance is a geological structure forming a lineament which stretches across south Wales from Swansea up the Swansea Valley then northeastwards to Brecon and beyond. It comprises both a series of faults and associated folds which were active during the mountain-building period...
.
Access
The hill is entirely within access land and freely available to walkers. A private vehicular track which runs over the southeastern shoulder of neighbouring Fan GyhirychFan Gyhirych
Fan Gyhirych is a mountain in the Fforest Fawr section of Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales. It lies within the county of Powys, formerly Brecknockshire....
affords the easiest and most commonly used ascent of Fan Fraith.